July 2015 - Page 4 of 5

Growing

We’re continuing to grow. Barb and Ann left for Kigali this morning to find the next class of applicants. In June and July we’ll have our own ESL teacher, Kathleen Ruffle, in Rwanda preparing the candidates for the SAT and TOEFL exams. Simultaneously, our dedicated, all-volunteer team of mentors in the U.S. is building on […]

First Scholarship Awards for OAD Class of 2013!

We have the first two scholarship winners of the year! Congratulations to Malika Ghafour and Flavia Umulisa and their mentors for this triumph, and good luck to the six other young women as each await her own results! Malika will be the first Afghan student at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH, thanks to a full […]

Applications Completed… Now We Wait

We have completed the college application process for the 2012 school year and have to wait until April to hear if our candidates won scholarships. This is the hardest part!The application process was harder than any of us imagined. Transcripts, letters of recommendation, and tax records are not as easily accessed in Rwanda as in […]

Four Girls Awarded $1M in Scholarships!

We have great news! Four of our seven candidates have been offered full scholarships from top liberal arts colleges and universities!We were able to leverage a small pool of money into almost $1M in scholarship funds. Each scholarship is worth approximately $225,000. Open A Door was able to leverage a small pool of money donated […]

Another Scholarship Winner for 2013!

We are extremely pleased to announce that Lehigh University awarded Sheilla Rukundo a full scholarship for this fall!Sheilla is one of seven children and grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda. She ultimately returned to Rwanda with her family, as they began rebuilding their lives after the genocide. She was elected Head Girl of the […]

Message From A Mentee: Sharon Batamuriza

My name is Sharon Batamuriza, and I am majoring in International Relations and Human Rights at Bennington College in Vermont. My college experience is worth more than words can say. Bennington is a small school, but it has a good, strong community. When I began my first term as an international student, it was kind […]

Nicole Reflects on Her Love for Rwanda and Appreciation for New Experiences

I didn’t know how much I loved my Rwanda until it was time to leave. I am in a far distant place, but I hold Rwanda close to my heart. From the beginning of my applications to colleges in the U.S., I knew that after getting the knowledge and the degree I wanted, it will […]

Announcing our Newest Class of OAD Scholars

We are proud to announce that all 8 OAD Scholars that applied this year received full scholarships from prestigious colleges and universities in the U.S.! We cannot thank our mentors and sponsor enough for making the dreams of all of these young, bright women come true.Featured from left to right: Chartine Iraguha – Bucknell UniversityNicole Mugeni – Arizona State UniversityYvonne Musiime – Harvard CollegeJocelyn Mizero– Lafayette CollegeBonnette Ishimwe – Whitman […]

OAD Student Represents Rwanda in Intercultural Human Rights Program and Reports on Current Refugee Plight

This summer, scholar Peninah was invited to join a group of young leaders from the US, Canada, and Australia in an interactive human rights learning and action program. The agenda included site visits with the US State Department and international NGOs working on conflict resolution and development.After various site visits, Peninah put together a report […]

Message From Mentor: Ali Berlin

What was your reaction when Bennington College accepted Sharon?I was overwhelmed, proud, grateful and fully freaking out. I was speechless, shaking and in shock.My husband and I were in the process of relocating from the San Francisco Bay Area to NY. It was March 21, 2012 and I was actually in New York City, on […]